SupportK-12ComputerScience
EducationinWashington
Computers ciencedrives jobgrowthandinnovationthroughout
oureconomyands ociety.Computingoccupations makeup
two-thirds ofallprojectednewjobs inSTEMfields ,making
ComputerScienceoneofthemos tin-demandcollegedegrees .
Andcomputingis us edallaroundus andinvirtuallyevery
field.It’s foundationalknowledgethatalls tudents need.But
computers cienceis marginalizedthroughouteducation.75
percentofU.S.s chools don’tevenoffercomputers cienceand
only8%ofSTEMgraduates s tudyit.Weneedtoimprove
acces s foralls tudents ,includinggroups whohavetraditionally
beenunderrepres ented.
9in10parentswanttheirstudentstolearn
computerscience,butonly1in4schoolsteachit.
ComputerscienceinWashington
Was hingtoncurrentlyhas 19,208opencomputingjobs(3.0times theaveragedemandratein
Was hington).
Theaverages alaryforacomputingoccupationinWAis $102,644,whichis s ignificantlyhigherthanthe
averages alaryinthes tate($52,540).
Was hingtonhadonly1,001computersciencegraduatesin2014;only20%werefemale.
Only1,770highschoolstudentsinWas hingtontooktheAPComputerScienceexamin2015;only28%
werefemale;only70wereHis panic;only39wereblack.
Only52schoolsinWA(16%ofWAs chools withAPprograms )offeredtheAPComputerSciencecours ein
2013-2014.TherearefewerAPexams takenincomputers ciencethaninanyotherSTEMs ubjectarea.
Whatcanyoudotoimprove
K-12CSeducation?
1. Callonyours chooltoexpandcomputers cience
offerings ateverygradelevel.
2. As kyourlocals chooldis tricttoallowcomputers cience
cours es tos atis fyacoremathors ciencerequirement.
3. Vis ithttps://code.org/educate/3rdpartytofindoutabout
cours es andcurriculumfromavarietyofthirdparties ,
includingCode.org.
4. Vis itwww.code.org/promote/WAtolearnmoreabout
s upportingcomputers cienceinyours tate.
Code.org'sImpactinWashington
Thereare20,951teacheraccountsand305,978studentaccountsinCodeStudioin
Washington.
Code.orghas partneredwithBainbridgeIs landSchoolDis trict,BellevuePublicSchools ,BremertonSchool
Dis trict,CentralValleySchoolDis trict,CheneySchoolDis trict,CloverParkSchoolDis trict,Eas tValleySchool
Dis trict,EatonvilleSchoolDis trict,EnumclawSchoolDis trict,EverettPublicSchools ,FranklinPierceSchool
Dis trict,HighlineSchoolDis trict,Marys villeSchoolDis trict,ShorelineSchoolDis trict,SpokanePublic
Schools ,TacomaPublicSchools ,TukwilaSchoolDis trict,andWes tValleySchoolDis trict.
7Code.orgK-12facilitators inWas hingtonhaveprovidedprofes s ionallearningfor278elementary
teachers.
Code.orghas providedprofes s ionallearningfor49middleschoolteachersand83highschool
teachersinWas hingtontoteachcomputers cience.
“ComputerScienceisaliberalart:it’ssomethingthat
everybodyshouldbeexposedtoandeveryoneshould
haveamasteryoftosomeextent.”
—SteveJobs
Whatcanyourstatedotoimprovecomputer
scienceeducation?
States andlocals chooldis tricts needtoadoptabroadpolicyframeworktoprovidealls tudents withacces s to
computers cience.Thefollowingeightrecommendations areamenuofbes tpractices thats tates canchoos efrom
tos upportandexpandcomputers cience.Notalls tates willbeinapos itiontoadoptallofthepolicies ,andno
s tatehas accomplis hedall8yet.Readmoreaboutthes e8policyideas at
https://code.org/files/Making_CS_Fundamental.pdf.
Was hingtondoesnotyethaverigorous computers ciences tandards .Computers ciencehas oftenbeen
confus edwithbroadertechnologyeducationins chools .States s houldadoptdis cretes tandards forcomputer
s ciencefocus edonboththecreationandus eofs oftwareandcomputingtechnologies atalllevels ofK-12
education.TheComputerScienceTeachers As s ociationhas modelK-12CSs tandards .
Was hingtonhas allocatedfundingforrigorous computers cienceprofes s ionaldevelopmentandcours e
s upport.
Was hingtonhas clearcertificationpathways forcomputers cienceteachers .
Was hingtoncurrentlyhasnoincentives forins titutions ofhighereducationtooffercomputers cienceto
pre-s erviceteachers .Thecomputers cienceteachers hortagecanbeaddres s edbyexpos ingmorepre-s ervice
teachers tocomputers cienceduringtheirrequiredcours eworkorbycreatings pecificpathways forcomputer
s cienceteachers .
Was hingtonhas dedicatedcomputers ciencepos itions ins tateandlocaleducationauthorities .
Was hingtondoesnotyetrequirethatalls econdarys chools offercomputers cience.States s houldadopt
policies thatrequires chools toofferacomputers ciencecours ebas edonrigorous s tandards ,withappropriate
implementationtimelines andallowingforremoteand/orin-pers oncours es .
Was hingtonallows computers ciencetocountforacoregraduationrequirement.FindouthowWas hington
allows computers ciencetocounttowards graduationathttp://bit.ly/1Is6YXS.
Was hingtonallows computers ciencetocountas acoreadmis s ionrequirementatins titutions ofhigher
education.
Followus!
Joinourefforts togiveeverys tudentineverys chooltheopportunitytolearncomputers cience.Learnmoreat
code.org,orfollowus onFacebookandTwitter.
Launchedin2013,Code.org®is anon-profitdedicatedtoexpandingacces s tocomputers cience,andincreas ing
participationbywomenandunderrepres enteds tudents ofcolor.Ourvis ionis thateverys tudentineverys chool
s houldhavetheopportunitytolearncomputers cience.
DataisfromtheC onferenceBoardforjobdemand,theBureauofLaborStatisticsforstatesalaryandnationaljobprojectionsdata,the
C ollegeBoardforAP examdata,theNationalC enterforEducationStatisticsforuniversitygraduatedata,theGallupresearchstudy
SearchingforC omputerScience:AccessandBarriersinK-12Educationforschoolsthatoffercomputerscienceandparentdemand,
andC ode.orgforitsowncourses,professionallearningprograms,andparticipationdata.